Labour has condemned Tory controlled Fareham Council’s plans to build on green spaces and bolster the economy. In a submission to the Borough Council’s Local Plan consultation Fareham Labour Party has said that the proposed loss of land would be devastating and the economic plans were weak.
The council proposes to release land which only a few years ago they said would be protected by the Welborne development. Now in the latest plans most of these areas are designated for building. Fareham Labour has consistently been on record as saying the Welborne should supply most of the housing development with brownfield sites taking up any additional requirements.
In the submission we said: ‘We would support the prioritising of brownfield sites in the local area, especially those suggested in this consolation ( which includes building higher density developments in existing town centres). We object to the current proposals seeks to designate areas of green space that were previously protected by development on the Welborne site.’
The council’s proposals to bolster Fareham Town Centre, Portchester and Locks Heath are weak. They haven’t even mentioned Stubbington in the plans. Labour has proposed encouraging independent retailers to build a thriving local economy. We believe this strategy would put money back into the local area, which otherwise might be drawn out by national retailers. Where possible we would like to see the building of additional affordable properties in these areas, to bring life back to the high street.
Matthew Randall, Chair of Fareham Labour Party said “The response from Conservative majority run council in Fareham would be comical if it wasn’t playing with lives of present and future residents of the borough. Trying to shift the blame for the failure of the local plan from a Conservative run council to a Conservative run government is beyond farce. Whether it’s a failure to draft a housing plan at the local level, or the formation of an unrepresentative cabinet to oversee vital Brexit negotiations, there is only one Conservative party. Such tactics, treating residence of the area as fools, only serve to highlight that the Conservatives in Fareham take local people for granted.”
Our full submission can be seen on Fareham Borough Council’s website.